PROMPT : GRADUATION
“Think he’ll ask you out?” Carmen fiddled with her jacket zipper, casting a glance up and down the hallway. “Shayla!”
Her dark-haired friend shot her a look of absolute distaste. “If he asks, you already know what I’m going to tell him. Stop doing this to yourself.”
“But…” Carmen faltered. There were three good reasons to accept the suite from the junior master—and a thousand brilliant ones to refuse it.
The prestige and privilege was highly sought after, but the price, according to Shayla, was definitely not worth it.
“You should really value yourself more,” Shayla said, quietly. A slight crease of worry worked its way onto her forehead. “I mean it, Carm. You don’t even see that—are you listening to me?”
Carmen jerked back to the present. She faked a smile, hoping that it looked better than it felt. There really was no safe way to tell her best friend that she’d already done the unthinkable and apprenticed her life away for the next five years—to the very worst kind of training master.
No way at all.
Shayla would likely kill her.
And then bring her back to do it again.
“Carm…?” Shayla poked her. “You’re zoning out on me, girl. Did you even eat today? You look pale.”
Carmen made herself shake her head. “Food sounds good,” she said, lightly. “Very good. Why don’t you treat me to dinner and I’ll-“
“Oh smooth. Very smooth,” Shayla snorted, tossing her thick hair over one shoulder. “Fine. But only because your scores improved so much on that last trick test. Good job.”
(c) S. Harricharan